LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
 
WATER DEVELOPMENT POLICY IMPACT STATEMENT
 
80TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
 
May 4, 2007

TO:
Honorable Robert Puente, Chair, House Committee on Natural Resources
 
FROM:
John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
 
IN RE:
HB3981 by Eissler (Relating to the creation of the Hardin Store Road Municipal Utility District No. 1 of Montgomery County; providing authority to impose a tax and issue bonds; granting the power of eminent domain.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted

The Legislative Budget Board, in cooperation with the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), has determined the following:

 

The bill creates Hardin Store Road Municipal Utility District No. 1 of Montgomery County (District) with the powers and duties of a municipal utility district under Water Code Chapters 49 and 54. The purpose of the District includes: providing works and projects under powers conferred by Article XVI, Section 59 of the Texas Constitution to benefit the property within the District and the power of eminent domain. The bill indicates that the TCEQ shall appoint the temporary directors; temporary directors were not provided. The District is subject to confirmation election by the voters.

 

1)  Population – The detailed description of the proposed boundaries does not allow staff to develop precise population estimates. The 2000 Census population of Montgomery County was 293,768, with 99,788 living in areas identified in the 2007 State Water Plan as “County-Other” (outside cities of more than 500 and established water utility districts). The total county population is projected to increase to 542,051 by 2020, the County-Other population is projected to increase to 198,870.

 

2)  Location – The district is located within Montgomery County.

 

3)  Comments on Powers/Duties Different from Similar Types of Districts – The District will have road powers. If the District has not been confirmed by the voters before September 1, 2011, then the District is dissolved on September 1, 2011.

 

4)  Overlapping Services – The stated boundaries form an acceptable closure. The overlapping service providers (and their CCN numbers) for Tract 1 may be Montgomery County MUD 46, Monarch Utilities 1 LP (12983/20899), Aqua Utilities, Inc. (11157), T&W Water Service Co. (12892), H-M-W SUD (10342), Quadvest, Inc. (11612/20952), Aqua Source Development, Inc. (12902/20867), Community Utility Co. (10350/20197), and Pinehurst Decker Prairie WSC (11768). The overlapping service providers (and their CCN numbers) for Tract 2 may be Aquasource Development, Inc. (12902/20867), Aqua Utilities, Inc. (11157), H-M-W SUD (10342), Decker Utilities (12841/20823), Monarch Utilities 1 LP (12983/20899), Pinehurst Decker Prairie WSC (11768), Quadvest, Inc. (11612/20952). The overlapping service providers (and their CCN numbers) for Tract 3 may be Pinehurst Decker Prairie WSC (11768) and City of Tomball.

 

5)  TCEQ's Supervision – As with general law districts, the TCEQ will have general supervisory authority, including bond review authority and review of financial reports.

 

6)  Water Use –  Ninety-five percent of Montgomery County water use in 2004 was for municipal purposes, with 3 percent for manufacturing. Ninety-nine percent of the total water use, and 100 percent of the municipal use, comes from groundwater sources.



Source Agencies:
580 Water Development Board, 582 Commission on Environmental Quality
LBB Staff:
JOB, DB